NOAH AOC

I am looking for an eye doc/low vision specialist in NY who has experience with albinism and is pro bioptic driving. Every low vision specialist i have seen has no clue about albinism and does not even try to get me to that 20/100 line so i can drive in NY. I've even had a low vision diplomat (apparently there are only about 50 in the whole country, they are supposed to be the best at low vision) ask me what my eye condition was after I said I had albinism. Then he asked when my eye condition started. Please, does anyone drive in NY and have a good eye doc? Thanks for any responses.

I live on the east coast of nY in westchester county, i think buffalo is probably about 5 hours or more away, oh well.

New York Optometric Center
33 West 42nd Street (Across from the Library)
NY, NY 10036
Low Clinic 212-780-5013

This was where I got my bioptics back in
1979. Particularly intrumental in helping
me secure a NY and subsequently a NJ license
was Dr. Bruce Rosenthal. I believe
he is now at the Lighthouse in NY.

(www.lighthouse.org).

Good luck.

quote:

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Originally posted by Michael Zaleski:
New York Optometric Center
33 West 42nd Street (Across from the Library)
NY, NY 10036
Low Clinic 212-780-5013

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Is this the one that used to be on 24th St off Park Av S and part of SUNY? If it is, the doctors there were very attentive and even fitted me with my first contact lenses back in the 90s.

Although they were never able to get me to drive like Wilmer-John Hopkins finally did, the doctors at SUNY were very open in trying lots of different things including vision therapy and biofeedback for my nystagmus. Great group of people. Good luck.

Bernie
See Me Drive .com

New York Optometric used to be at
100 East 24th Street, right off
Park, as you say.

Hi,
I don't know any low vision specialists in NY but there is a very good one in Philadelphia at the Feinbloom Low Vision Center. His name is Dr. Richard Brilliant. He has several patients with albinism, one from Deleware I know of. I have spoken with him and he is pro bioptic driving. Unfortunately, in PA you cannot use bioptics to get your dr license but in NY state you can. I am sure if you were willing to travel to Philadelphia he would be willing to work with you. Good luck

Thank you all for your replies. I wonder if it would be worth the time and effort to travel to Philly or even Maryland. My uncorrected vison is 20/200 and I need 20/100 to drive in NY. I need a specialist who will be able to get me the best refraction to get to 20/100.

Bernie, you said that you were unable to drive in NY but could drive in Maryland. Why is that, the driving visual requirements seem to be about the same, 20/100. Was Dr. Park in Maryland able to improve your vision to that point and the Dr. in NY was not?

What does this Dr. Park do that other eye specialists are not doing, he seems to be helping a lot of people with albinism to drive. Is Dr Bruce Rosenthal just as skilled? What about Dr. Brilliant in Philly? Now I don't know where to go. Anyone with albinism have any recent experiences with Dr. Rosenthal in NY or Dr. Brilliant in Philly? Thanks again.

Hi,
I can't drive because of laws in PA. But my vision is 20/200 and with bioptics it was brought up to 20/30. With "regular glasses" they may not be albe to bring your vision up to 20/100 but with bioptics they certainly should be able to bring it up to 20/100. If you do get your vision up to 20/100 or better with bioptics you will need specialized driver's training but it is doable and you are lucky you live in NY where bioptics are accepted to attain a visual acquity for driving. You have to decide wether you want to go to Maryland or Philadelphia, which is closer to you that is the one I would pick. Good luck

I need to have 20/100 through the carrier lens, ie: contacts or glasses, then 20/40 with the bioptic to drive in NY. I want to go to the eye doc who will be the best to see if i can be corrected to 20/100. Philly is about 2hrs away and Maryland about 4 but I'm willing to travel if it means i can drive. Thanks again for your replies.

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Originally posted by Carol172:
Bernie, you said that you were unable to drive in NY but could drive in Maryland. Why is that, the driving visual requirements seem to be about the same, 20/100.

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Actually, when I saw the doctors in New York I was living in New Jersey. It was NJ, not NY, that wouldn't let me drive. Apparently, Maryland's "absolute visual acuity minimum" to drive is 20/100 while NJ's is 20/50. New York's is 20/70. Remember, I am not using bioptics.

My uncorrected vision is around 20/100 and when Dr. Park fitted me with new tinted contacts my vision was 20/70, which was way within Maryland's requirements. I documented as much of my experience as I could here...
http://www.seemedrive.com/low-vision-driving.php?id=7_0_1_0_M1

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Was Dr. Park in Maryland able to improve your vision to that point and the Dr. in NY was not?

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Although I don't recall the figures, I believe it was a combination of both factors, but Maryland's 20/100 cutoff was obviously in my favor. Never knew I was eligible to drive until Dr. Park mentioned it to me.

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What does this Dr. Park do that other eye specialists are not doing, he seems to be helping a lot of people with albinism to drive.

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Dr. Park is simply a wonderful and caring doctor who takes time to properly evaluate his patients and always gives 110%. I "strongly" recommend that you take the 3 hour Amtrak train ride down to Baltimore and visit Dr. Park at Wilmer Eye Institute. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Bernie
See Me Drive .com

Hi all,
I really appreciate all the replys, but there were no responses at all from anyone who has gotten a licence in ny within the last couple of years. Is there no one out there new to driving in ny, and if there is, what eye doc did you go to? I am leaning toward going to Maryland to see Dr. Parks, but really, is NY that lame that there are no good eye docs/low vision specialists here (come to think of it, my experiences with about 7 NY low vision specialists would seem to bear that out, if i see one more lighted magnifyer, cctv and paper chart draged across the room to test my acuity i will scream). Oh well, any replies?

Hi,
You said you needed 20/100 in the carrier lens and you are now 20/200. You may be able to get up to 20/100 in you carrier lens with contacts also. Inother words you would have contacts, glasses with the carrier lens, and then the bioptic. I know a wonman in TN who has brought her vision up to the driving requirement using that combination of corrections. Good luck with driving

Caroll,

You mention that your uncorrected vision is 20/200 and that you need to reach 20/100 with a carrier lens before you are alowed to consider bioptics.

A couple of question -

Do you currently wear glasses or are you in the majority of people with albinism who have given up wearing glasses?

If you do have an old pair of glasses I would find it helpful if you can tell me what the script might be?

Cheers,

Brian

Hi again,
Margarat Mary, that sounds like a good idea to try, I have worn contacts with magnifying glasses to read but have never tried contacts with distanct correction. Thanks so much for the suggestion.

Brian, I currently have contacts and glasses, both for distance. They do not bring me down any lines on the eye chart but they do make the "big E" less blurry. I don't wear either of them. The only glasses I use are my magnifying glasses to read. The distance script is pretty high, I have astigmatism also. I don't have it in front of me but it is something like 4.25 x 80(axis). I am nearsighted, don't remember if that makes it plus or minus, perhaps you know?

Thanks again to all for all your replies and help.